Post navigation

Making In-School Suspension Work

In-school suspension. Does it really work? Is it really effective? Many teachers and schools believe that having students who are suspended serve the suspension in school is much better than having students serve the suspension outside of school. After all, students are bound to learn a lesson if they are in school being monitored and given work to do rather than at home where they may potentially goof off.

Due to this, many schools are reevaluating their in-school suspension strategy to work a bit better and be more beneficial to the student. In essence, schools are trying to make this type of suspension a learning experience for the student who is suspended.

Schools are taking greater measures to educate students while they are participating in in-school suspension. Schools are going so far as to have teachers teaching these students several different skills while they spend their time in suspension. Skills that help students succeed in life or perhaps even help improve their social skills. Students are learning about being a bully, how to handle conflict, and are being rewarded for behaving appropriately while in suspension.

With funding stretched to the max and then some in most public schools, many times a teacher isn’t designated to just monitor the in-school suspension program. Instead, teachers who are salaried often find themselves being assigned on a rotating basis to monitor an in-school suspension class. This can occur when teachers are supposed to be having time with their teaching team or time to prep for their next class. Forgoing planning and team time isn’t a great option, but sometimes that is the only way schools can afford to make an in-school suspension situation one that is beneficial to the student.

I am hopeful to never have to worry about my children and school suspension. I do know that if it were to ever happen and I were told my son was to be suspended outside of school, there would be huge consequences. Consequences that were so unpleasant he would never want to be suspended again. He would learn that being out of school because he got in trouble at school is not fun. And, if either of my sons were ever given an in-school suspension I would want to make sure that the school had a plan in place to make it a learning experience, but yet also make sure it isn’t something that he has fun doing. Oh, and don’t get me wrong, if my children had an in-school suspension, they would for sure have big consequences at home!